Additional Navigation

Hamilton Trustee Chair Pledges $1 Million for Student Scholarships

A.G. Lafley '69, chairman of the Hamilton College Board of Trustees, has pledged $1 million for student scholarship aid in conjunction with his 40th class reunion. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Procter & Gamble Company.

As part of his commitment, Lafley challenged his classmates to provide $50,000 to establish a Class of 1969 endowed scholarship. He said he is making his gift to demonstrate the college's commitment to keeping a Hamilton education affordable and to encourage his classmates to provide even further support for Hamilton's students.

"This has been a challenging year for higher education," Lafley observed, "and additional financial aid for students is Hamilton's most pressing need. The college is committed to increasing need-based scholarships for current and future students, and I'm happy to be a part of that effort."

Lafley said his 40th class reunion provided the perfect opportunity to support Hamilton's students. "The liberal arts education my classmates and I received at Hamilton prepared us well for our careers, and I am pleased to make this commitment as we look forward to celebrating our 40th reunion."

Reunion Weekend will be held Thursday-Sunday, June 4-7, on the Hamilton campus. Approximately 2,000 alumni and their families are expected.

"This gift helps ensure that scholarship money will always be available for those students whose academic preparation makes them eligible for a Hamilton education," said Joseph R. Urgo, acting president and dean of faculty. "Hamilton is proud of its reputation as a school of opportunity, and this gift helps protect that legacy."

Urgo said financial aid is one of the four priorities in the college's recently adopted strategic plan.

"Hamilton has been committed to access and affordability since its founding nearly 200 years ago," Urgo said. "It is a fundamental part of our college's identity. We have been and, thanks in part to this gift, will continue to be a college that meets the full demonstrated need of every student we accept."

Next year, Hamilton will provide approximately half of its students with more than $24 million in need-based scholarship aid. The average financial package for a student receiving aid at the college likely will exceed $31,000 in 2009-10.

Two years ago, Hamilton became the first U.S. college to eliminate its merit aid program in favor of need-based aid. When the transition is fully implemented in 2011, an additional $1 million will be available for students who demonstrate financial need. The college is honoring the merit aid commitments it made to current students prior to the 2007 announcement of the change in policy.